Lóvua — The Angolan Government will continue to support and protect refugees from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in Lóvua settlement, eastern Lunda Norte province, the minister of Social Action, Family and Promotion of Women Faustina Alves said on Sunday.

Speaking to the press at the end of her visit to the Lóvua settlement, aimed to assess the social and economic reintegration programmes for refugees, Faustina Alves stressed the Government commitment to support the refugees, in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

She said that Angola and UNHCH remain committed to providing better conditions so that the emigrants feel respected, valued and welcomed in Angola.

The minister expressed concern about the rate of domestic violence, early marriage and pregnancy in the settlement, appealing to the local authorities to step up measures to prevent and hold offenders accountable.

As for the repatriation, the minister said that the Government is working with UNHCR to resume the process, suspended in 2020 due to Covid-19 pandemic.

She recommended UNHCR to carry out a survey on the number of refugees interested in returning to their country of origin voluntarily, in order to subsequently define a safe repatriation programme.

In June 2017, 31,241 citizens from the DRC entered Angolan territory, specifically in the province of Lunda Norte, due to political and ethnic conflicts in that country.

Of this number, 11,758 citizens left for the country of origin voluntarily in 2018.

In August 2019, there was the spontaneous repatriation of 14,724 refugees, who decided to leave the Lóvua camp and return to the DRC.

The decision prompted the Angolan Government, DRC and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to hold a tripartite meeting.

Currently, there are 7,012 refugees in the settlement, corresponding to 1, 677 families.